Hi all!
I'm newly reg. here, been looking for some time, however. My wife and i are FT for nearly a year, and are in the Fresno, CA area right now with my job. We should be leaving here within two weeks and would like some advice on a route to Jonesborough, TN. I don't want to stay on an interstate for very long at a time and would like to visit some quirky, off-the-beaten-trail kind of places. We are open to Northern or Southern routes. Thanks, sorry so long and rambling!
T&J

With weather like it is, I sorta like to get accross the midwest ASAP.

Hi T&J and welcome to the forum! Glad you asked as I really enjoyed a couple of months in Tennessee last fall. Jonesboro is near Great Smokey Mountains National Park and the Parkway which travels near the Appalachian Trail, so do take these first class experiences. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg have a deserved rep for commercialism, but I enjoyed the shows and the sights anyhow.
As far as the route to get to TN, how about using your GPS mapping program as we do-- not to give us turn by turn instructions, but just as a flexible and highly detailed map of the country. Plan a route that is "shortest" not fastest. Then look at the sights near it that appeal to you. Virtually any federal or state route is more interesting and safe than the interstate system.
Please don't worry unduly about severe weather. Hail and tornadoes are quite destructive, but they are also VERY localized. Lots of people live in these areas anyhow.
Hope there are others out there to suggest some interesting stops. And again, welcome!

T&J,

Welcome to the Escapees forum.

You did not say how long you plan to take to get from Fresno to Jonesborough.

I have found the Mountain Directories

http://www.mountaindirectory.com/index.html

very helpful in planning non-interstate highway routes in areas I have never been before.

This site http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/
has information about the scenic byways in each state.

If you were to take the Interstate highways on your trip East, I-40 would be your most direct route. US 60 parallels I-40 through eastern Arizona and central New Mexico. There are also several sections of Historic Route 66 along the I-40 corridor. US 64 through northern New Mexico is also a good road with lots of interesting out of the way places to visit. Lots of interesting things to see and do on both routes, in my opinion.

Once you pick a general route, a post in the "Travel" forum will likely generate a lot of suggestions. Including information about the size and type of your RV and how much, if any, you plan to dry camp will help folks in suggesting which routes are best and where you can stay.

Again, Welcome to the Escapees Forum!

T&J, as Alan suggested, you might want to take I-40 through the Midwest. If you use that route, when you get to Memphis you can take hwy 72 across Northern Mississippi and Alabama. Nice scenic drive on divided 4 lane. 72 will take you to I-24 west of Chattanooga. Have a safe trip, enjoy Jonesborough.
Bob

As you plan your route, take a look at the Natchez Trace as it is a beautiful place and relaxing way to travel.

I would try and route mostly via the US routes. By doing that you can see "Small Town America" up close. That is the best part of what this country has to offer and it will cost less for your nightly stops.

When crossing Arizona, consider US70 which is a good highway, or try US60 and follow it on across New Mexico. That route will take you through some very interesting locations. At Vaughn you could go south on US285 and visit Roswell & Carlsbad Caverns NP.

After that take US180 to Lamesa, TX and then US87 to San Antonio. If you do that, by crossing a short stretch on I-10 (there are numerous alternate routs off the interstates)you can find US59 on the north side of Houston and that will lead you north to Rainbow's End at Livingston.

You could easily take US59 on up to Marshall, TX and then get on I-20 if so inclined. But a better route would be to go east on US84 across Louisiana to Natchez, and follow the Trace north, to Nashville or you could take I-20 east and join the Trace at Jackson, MS.

One other thought, while it is wise to pay attention to the weather as you cross the central part of the country, do not allow fear to control your life. You will miss a great deal if you should do that.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kirk,

National Parks of Utah and the mountains of Colorado are worth it. The Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas is extra well worth it especially after your travels through the plains of Kansas. This may be a longer route but worth it. Lots of winding roads, little towns and beautiful landscapes.

When traveling east/west we like to pick a US highway then see the sights along it. We traveled west on US 2 and east along US 30 between Minnesota and the west coast on one trip and it was a great trip. Be aware that we LIKE railroads, though.

Linda

You have gotten some excellent advice here. I'm going to have to try some of the routes suggeted myself.

As Kirk suggested, when you are in the midwest, be aware of the weather and take the proper precautions, but keep it in perspective. I posted this in response to another inquiry about midwestern weather.

According to a study commissioned by the insurance industry, you are 9,200% more likely to die in a home accident than in a tornado and 25,800% more likely to die in an automobile accident (no, I haven't misplaced any decimals). Of course the odds of the latter are much higher in California.

Just a little perspective.

If you don't already have it, you may wish to pick up a copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Lots of fun and interesting places in there.

Thanks for all the advice. We will probably parallel I40; wander down to 20 or even 10, (we came out 20 and 10 heading west) while trying to stay off the interstate. We have a two year old and are due again in July, so we need to stop and stretch quite often. ;-) I will go to the Travel forum though, thanks very much!
T&J

quote:

We traveled west on US 2 and east along US 30 between Minnesota and the west coast on one trip and it was a great trip.

Linda, we are picking up Hwy 2 in Grand Forks, North Dakota and heading EAST. Any recommendations on what to see and do?

Glad we got to meet at Escapade.

We got on Hwy 2 at Grand Forks when we went west but there's lots to do in Minnesota depending on what your tastes are. The two things I would most recommend is walking across the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park near Bemidji and visiting Canal Park in Duluth to watch the huge international ships passing under the lift bridge to/from the Duluth/Superior ports.

Linda

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sandsys,

Thanks for the quick response. Sitting here with all the directories but personal recommendations are always better.
Thank you, Judy

I'm not a full timer, so I don't know all the best routes, but I would suggest you find a way that will bring you through the Ozarks (so. MO and Northern Arkansas).

You won't regret it, it is a beautiful area.

Thanks, I think we were in part of the Ozark Mtns. when we went to Branson a couple of years ago. It WAS very inviting and I'm sure we'll get back to that region again.